Flaxseeds Chutney

 

Flaxseed chutney ( powdered ) 

Flaxseeds are great source of Omega -3 fatty acids for #vegetarians 

This chutney goes perfect with #dosa #idly #thalipeeth #akkirotti  or #jowarbhakri or even Paratha .. 

Or on a toast spread butter and little bit of this … 

Add little raw oil to it and mix and eat. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup flaxseeds 

1 tablespoon peanuts 

1 tablespoon sesame seeds 

1 tsp of Chana daal

1 tap of urid daal 

Salt to taste 

Red chilli powder ( and little bit and Kashmiri red chilli powder for the colour ) 

Small piece of #kokum #amsul for the sour taste .. 

Add very little sugar to complete the circle of taste .. 

Dry roast everything ( lentils, flaxseeds ,then peanuts then sesame seeds ) 

separately in a Kadai / pan and once they cool down , add spices, salt and blend them into a fine powder. 

Variation: you can also add little bit of roasted dry coconut to increase its health quotient and taste of course !

Benefits of flaxseed:

Flaxseeds are superfood for vegetarians… they improve digestive health and help lower cholesterol ( LDL).

😊 enjoy the chutney with Chapati / paratha  by adding a little bit of raw oil or yoghurt to it. 

I also love it by adding it to plain daal and then a garlic tadaka on top!! 

#ukfoodblogger #vegetarianrecipes #chutney #healthyfoodie #omegathree #plantbased #vegan #jawas #foodforbrain #healthyvegetarian #healthyvegan #mykitchen #prachiscuisine #foodblogger #instafoodblogger #recipeshare #jawaschutney #homemadechutney #hearthealthy #badcholesterol #reducecholesterol #indianfood

Metkut

 

Its been so long I blogged anything here... a dear friend reminded me saying she misses reading it. She also described the page and it’s layout with those birdies on the page... it was such a sweet thing to hear .. 

I felt ..I should write now...

It so happened that  I made this very traditional and close to every Maharashtrian's heart prep called Metkut ! so I thought what better than this to break my blogging fast :) 

I can call it a condiment may be?  

It is a flavorful powder eaten with hot steaming rice with dollop of Ghee and salt added as per your taste. 

Metkut is an emotion.. full stop! 

Am sure there is a fond memory in your mind attached to Metkut - Bhaat.

May be our Ajji's prep when we visited her in the summer vacation... or may be as a comfort food when we need something simple and nostalgic.. 

Fortunately my 10 yo is loving it and he actually asked me to make it when it got finished... 

Growing up away from homeland - it means a lot to an Indian mum :-)

So.. please comment your fond memory about Metkut - I would love to read it :)

there are 4 ways that we eat Metkut - 

First and most common - with steaming hot rice and ghee.

second -  Add little tamarind and jaggery chutney to it and mix well. Add enough water for a chutney consistency. Add finely chopped onion and coriander leaves, salt to taste.Add a nice oil tadaka on top - only mustard , Cumin , Hing.

Third - Add yoghurt to Metkut and little water - again to get a chutney consistency. Add onion and coriander leaves and salt. Top it up with a tadaka, 

Fourth and my favorite again - soak Poha - medium thickness rice flakes with very little water and set aside for 10 min for them to soak the water. Add red chilli powder , salt, roasted peanuts powder , sugar, turmeric, Metkut.Add chopped coriander leaves and optional - onion. 

Tadaka is must ;) 

So without further ado - here is the recipe of  dear Metkut :-)

Ingredients:

1.25 cup Chana daal 

0.25 cup Urid daal  ( washed and air dried previous night )

0.25 cup Rice ( washed and air dried previous night )

2 tbsp. Wheat

2 red whole chilies 

10 cardamoms

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds / Jeera

1 tsp Methi seeds

15 whole black pepper

3 Cloves ( lawang)

1 tsp Nutmeg powder ( jayfal)

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsp Dry ginger powder ( suntha)

Note: This powder doesnt have slat in it - whenever you use it salt gets added to the dish separately.

Procedure:

1. Dry roast all ingredients separately one by one.(except the powders mentioned in the ingredients )
2. While roasting Wheat - you will see they will be almost ready to get popped up. That is the sign to stop. 
3. Once all ingredients are cooled down after roasting, add turmeric, Ginger powder, Nutmeg powder to the mixture. 

Suggestion :  Grind red chilies first in your blender then grind rest of the ingredients together.

This makes sure the chilies get grounded well and mixed well. 

Blend to a smooth fine powder as much possible with your blender. 

Once ready, sieve it through a flour sieve and store it in air tight container. 

The left over coarse powder can be mixed with yoghurt and made into a prep like the third prep mentioned above. 

Metkut can also be relished just on its own by adding a little salt , cold oil of your choice and mixed well to a semi fluidly consistency and enjoy with Chapati / Jowar Bhakari. 

Enjoy !!! Please do share your special memories about Metkut in comments.

#vegan #rice #comfortfood #metkut #marathifood #maharashtrianrecipes #metkutbhaat

Gojjawalaki - Karnataka special Pohe recipe

 

Gojjawalaki - gojju + Awalaki - Karnataka dish of Pohe / rice flakes. 

Gojju means - spicy tangy sweet paste 

Awalaki - Pohe / rice flakes 

The Gojju in this dish is nothing but a mixture of water , tamarind extract , Jaggery , rassam masala , salt , turmeric.

 

1 cup medium thick Poha - pulse it on a blender to a texture you see in the picture. 

Mix all the ingredients of the Gojju together ( Spices - take the quantity as per the taste which suits your palette) I keep it little higher on spice and sweet, little low on tangy taste ) 

For 1 cup of rice flakes , use 1.5 cups of water and mix everything in the water except underlined above.

Once you blend the rice flakes add it to this water. 

Mix well. Keep aside for 15-20 min covered with a lid.

All the water will be absorbed by rice flakes and they will puff up. 

Use fork to separate the mixture and it will be of crumble texture. 

Now, make a tadaka - pour little oil in a kadai - Once heated, add Urid daal , Chana daal, peanuts , red chillies , asafoetida , mustard seeds. 

Pour it on the Poha mixture or if you did tadaka in a big kadai - add the Poha mixture to this kadai and mix all well. 

Add chopped coriander leaves before serving. 

It is served cold - so perfect for a meet up / pot luck.  

Thanks for visiting my blog :) left a comment if you try it and like it 😊

#pohe #southindianfood #awalaki 

Oats, edible gum , nuts healthy bars

Posting here after long time … 

This recipe came as a thought process after thinking about how to feed right balance of something local , nutritious , seasonal , and the food what our genes know to our family.

That’s what the nutrition science say.

Since living in the UK , Oats are local …and I have been meaning to make Gond / Dinka in Marathi - edible gum laddoos for winter ( ticks seasonal) and thought why not club the two 😬

So here it is : 

Ingredients: 

1 cup rolled oats 

1/2 cup - mixed nuts ( I used almonds , pistachios,walnuts, cashews , black raisins 

1/8 cup edible gond / Dinka 

2 tablespoons Khaskhas/ poppyseeds 

2/3 cups dry coconut 

1/2 to 3/4 cup powdered jaggery ( if you don’t have this use normal jaggery but adjust the quantity as      

        per it’s sweetness - I wanted little less sweet so I used 1/2 cup plus a tea spoon

1/3 cup ghee ( melted form ) 

2 tablespoons spoon dry dates powder ( Kharik powder )

Procedure : 

1. With 2 tsp ghee , once heated in a pan , fry the gum kernels ( Dinka ) until nice and fluffy, on medium 

    flame. 

2. Dry roast all the other ingredients separately.  Nuts can be roasted in little ghee all together. 

3. Grind the nuts to a powder.

4. Just use a cup or with your fingers , crush the fried gond. 

5. Grind oats also to a coarse texture. 

6. In a pan add little ghee and pour the jaggery. Let it melt completely.

7. Add all the powders to it and mix well - switch off the flame. 

8. Add ghee to the mixture and mix thoroughly all together. If you see it’s dry add Lillie more ghee ( little bit at a time )

9. Keep a greased tray ready. 

10. Pour the mixture in a square tray and press with a spatula so the mixture goes to each corner. 

11. With a light hand , put square / bar shaped lines for shape with a greased knife. Once cooled , it can’t be cut into required shapes. 

12. Leave it to rest for 20-30 min. 

13. Once cooled , remove the pieces. 

Edible gum is very healthy and elders recommend it for good ,strong backbone. 

Must consume in winters only. 

Enjoy and do send me a feedback if you like it 😊 

#healthybar #oats #dinka #nuts

Peanuts - Coconut Chikki

I love this version of chikki - although using Sugar instead of Jaggery in this version but it's ok to binge once in a while :-) and unlike other sweets we eat small portions of these ... so not too much sugar goes in anyway.

Very few ingredients and quite easy.  Here we go..

Ingredients: 

1 cup peanuts
0.5 cup Desiccated coconut
a little less to 1.5 cups sugar - I used castor sugar.
2 tsp ghee and little more to grease.

Procedure:

1. Dry roast peanuts in a Kadhai / Pan and when cooled down peel them off.

2. Dry roast coconut just for 3-4 minutes until raw smell goes away and add it to the peanuts.

3. Once cooled, grind them in a mixer to a little coarse consistency as the coarse peanuts tastes 
    better in chikki.

4. In a heavy base pan pour in the little Ghee ( 2 tsp ).

5. Once melted, add the sugar.

6. Once the sugar starts melting, keep stirring and make sure it doesn't stick to the pan.

7. Keep stirring until we reach the caramel stage. ( See pic below )

8. Switch off the flame and pour in peanuts - coconut ground mixture in it and start mixing well.

9. On a greased platform / Baking paper pour in this mixture fully and start rolling it into a spread.
     For thickness see the photo below.

10. While its hot use either a greased knife or a Pizza cutter to form shape of squares.

11. Let it completely cool down.

12. Comes out very crunchy and super yummy Chikis....

Note: You have to be a bit quick for steps 8,9 process and careful too !

Enjoy :-)

                                             Coarse powder of roasted peanuts and coconut

                                             Sugar on little Ghee - ready to caramelise

                  Wait until this stage comes in ..but not too much otherwise burnt flavour will get added in

                                              Rolled out mixture and  shaped into squares

                                              Ready !!!!!!  they were amazingly crunchy and perfect sweet.

Beetroot and Spinach Burger (Baked and bit stir fried )

Tried this recipe  as an option for my Son's lunch box.. He liked it so it might enter his lunch box one day :-)

I wanted to avoid frying to retain all nutrients well... and keep it a bit light..
so here it goes.. :-)

These are the ingredients as per our taste ... but burgers can accommodate lot of different flavours and veggies so be creative and experiment  :-)

It made around 5 medium sized burgers.

Ingredients :

1 medium beetroot
2 medium sized potatoes
2 handfuls of Spinach leaves - chop them finely and stir fry in little bit bit of oil - use when wilted
grated ginger ( I take it around 1-2 tsp ; but adjust as per your taste )
1 tsp Jeera powder
2 tsp Chaat powder
1 Tblsp  rice flour
1 white bread slice - powdered in blender
salt to taste
2 tsp black pepper powder ( I used as my kids dont like chilli spice but you can use it )
tsp of lemon juice or more or less as per your taste
6-7 twigs of coriander leaves finely chopped
Sesame seeds - optional for topping
little oil for stir frying at the end

Procedure :

1. Pressure cook potatoes and beetroot for soft well cooked veggies.
    tip: Make sure to place potatoes and beet in a pan ( without water in it ) inside pressure cooker. If
           we cook them directly in the cooker, they become soggy and more wet.
2. Peel off both beet and potatoes.
3. Grate beetroot for even consistency and mash potatoes in a bowl. Add wilted spinach leaves and
    mix well.
4. Add all flavours one by one as listed above along with rice flour and powdered bread slice.
5. Mix everything well together and make a dough. Adjust with more bread if its sticky ..too much
    of rice flour will affect the taste but not the bread. Apply little oil to have sticky less dough.
6. Pre heat the oven at 180 Deg C .
7. Make burger shaped patties and  bake them for 10 min for just to have an even cooking of
    burgers.
8. In a wide frying pan add 1-2 table spoon of oil and heat it.
9. Remove burgers from Oven and place them in frying pan oil. Apply Sesame seeds before stir     
    frying if you wish.

Stir fry from both sides to get nice crisp on them Or as per your taste.

Ready to serve :-)  Serve with your choice of salad leaves onion tomato - or whatever your child likes :-)
Hope you try and like it - leave a comment if you liked it :-)

I made them on valentines day as a healthy Pink in diet :-) So i made some heart shaped patties with the dough.... baked and stir fried same way... so you can either eat like a burger or just on its own like patties..

Drumstick Soup

My mum taught me this recipe this year.. Drumsticks are known to be super healthy !

We use it in Maharashtrian Ambati and ais widely known to be used in South indian Sambar recipes.

But..as a soup it sounded fascinating so I alsed her to make once...and voila...it was a hit on first attempt with me.

Very few basic ingredients...

here we go :-)

Ingredients:

I took 2 medium thick Drumsticks

5-6 twigs of coriander leaves

grated ginger - as per your taste

black pepper powder 2 pinches

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

Lemon juice while serving 

Procedure :

1. Chop the sticks approximatey to the legth of your index finger while chopping try to remove the threads from the sides(skin ).
2. In a pressure cooker,keep a pan with sticks in it WITHOUT water in the pan.Cook for 3-4 whistels ( some pressure cookers cook them in 2 whistels too - so adjust as per your cooker :-)
3. Keep 2 cups of water for boiling in a pan.
4. Once water starts to boil, scoop out the soft geletenious flesh from cooked drumsticks and add it to the water.
5. If you get some threads from the skin, remove them.
6. Add salt, sugar, finely chopped coriander leaves , black pepper powder, grated ginger to the water.
7. Give a nice stir and mix well - cook  everything together for 5 min.
8. Ready to serve. 

Isnt that easy??? 

Squeez some lemon on top when served in a bowl.  Never cook any dish after adding lemon juice - high heat destroys the Vitamin C in lemon juice :-) 

Health benefits of Drumsticks : 

Regulates blood sugar levels. ...
Helps improve digestive health. ...
Great for developing stronger bones. ...
Helps purifying blood. ...
Relieves respiratory disorders. ...
Boosts immunity.

 In a recent post by Rujuta Divekar , she had mentioned that in a Nutrition sceince conference, Drumsticks were given a title of future food. That is this tree will sustian the same amount of nutrients even through the climate changes... 

 Well ..its a no brainer... go make it and enjoy :-)

Capsicum green Peas Sabji ( dry )

Hi All... havent seen what was the last date I had posted on my blog.

Today.. decided to go for it affirmatively ( affirmative with myself  ;))  and I was making this Sabji for our dinner so thought of posting it.

Bell peppers are in the season and so are the peas, love both of these lovely greens which offer lot of health benefits too.

Without further ado, lets look at the recipe :-)

Ingredients :

2 Medium sized Bell pepper ( Green ) chopped into chunks
2 fistful of Peas
2 Tbl sp roasted peanuts powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp garam masala ( I used maharashtrian Goda masala but you can use any other garam masala of your choice )
salt to taste
1 tsp of Jaggery or 1/2 tsp sugar
2 pinches of citric acid ( for sourness )
mustard seeds , Cumin seeds, Turmeric, Asafoetida for Tadka


Procedure :

1. In a frying pan heat up some oil for tadka.
2. Once heated, add mustard seeds,Jeera,Asafoetida, turmeric. 
3. Add  chopped bell pepper chunks and stir well.
4. Add Green peas and mix well.
5. Cover the pan with a lid and let it cook on the steam for  5-7 min.
6. Add peanuts powder and other spices and mix well. Taste it and add the missing flavour.
7. Cover and cook for couple of more minutes for all the spices to infuse well.
8. Mix well before serving with Chapati  :-)

Note: You can either add Kokum / Tamerind piece for the sour taste. 

           I didnt add red chilli powder to retain the colour and  flavour of Pepper , the natural heat.

Pick Happiness or Unhappiness

एक दिवस भिजवलेले मूग निवडताना मनात एक विचार आला. आपण स्वयंपाक घरात अशी निवडीची काम करताना नेहमी चोर दाणे बाहेर काढतो, चांगले दाणे शोधत नाही; हसु आल का imagine करून :-)
अस करतो कारण तो common sense ahe....चोर दाणे कमी असतात म्हणून साहजिकच आपण ते निवडू... 
पण आयुष्यात  आपण नेहमी उलट करतो अस वाटतं.. 
चोर दाणे म्हणजे दुःख आणि चांगले दाणे म्हणजे उर्वरित aaushya अस बघितले तर तुम्ही काय कराल ?

हा हा

सगळी कड़े आपण 10 ways to seek happiness
100 ways to gain happiness
blah blah to live happy असच वाचत असतो , पण स्वयंपाक घरात जे  करतो ते केलं तर ?

म्हणजे चोर दाणे  शोधून आणि बाहेर काढ़ले तर?  :-)
दुःखा ची कारण शोधा आणि त्यांना  avoid  करा :-)

अमुक भावना ,अमुक विचार, अमुक व्यक्ति ( व्यक्ति ला टाळू नका - त्या व्यक्ति सोबत चे  भेद भाव किंवा गैर समज ) दूर करा - किमान प्रयत्न तरी..

सो जे काही उरेल ते असेल स्वछ आनंदी आयुष्य  :-)  आणि सुखाची १०० कारणं शोधण्या पेक्षा दुःखाची थोड़ी शी कारणं शोधणं सोप  ही आहे,....

यादि  करा आणि नव्या aushyachi नवी सुरुवात करा.. .सोपे नाहिये तेवढं... माहितीये 😊

पण याहून महत्वाचं म्हणजे  रोज  चा तोच तो पणा .. कधी कधी मनात उदासीनता आणू शकतो.. अश्या साठी ... कुठल्या गोष्टी आपल्याला आनंद देतात त्या बद्दल विचार करा... आणी जेंव्हा कधी असं वाटेल तेंव्हा अश्या आनंद देणऱ्या गोष्टी करायचा प्रयत्न करा. 

काही च नाही तर ... एखादं जुनं कपाट आवरायला घ्या ... मन नक्की लागेल. 

Sometimes avoiding triggers to unhappiness will help and many times doing things which make us happy willl help 😊💛

Just a Thought !

करून बघा :-) आणी जमलं तर सांगा कसा वाटला लेख.. 

प्राची

Thanks for reading :-)

Dont Take it for granted

काल पासून मनात विचारांच वादळ सुरु आहे. आजोबा , आई चे वडील आता हयात नाहीत :(
बालपणी च्या सगळ्या आठवणी एक नंतर एक डोळ्या समोआ येऊ लागल्या,,, आणि खुप एकत्र आल्या कि डोळ्यात पाणी साठून येत ,,
UK त आल्यानंतर ३ दा भारतात गेले होते… पण ३ न्ही वेळ जमला नाही  नांदेड ला जायला
माझ्या पेक्षा पिल्लू ने त्यांना पहिला नाही  आणि त्यांनी पिल्लू ला  पहिला नहीं ह्याची खंत मनाला खाते,,

ह्या सगळ्या आठवणी तेव्हा  मनात का येत नाहीत जेंवा  आपण  जाऊन  भेटू शकत असतो पण तेव्हा  काही ना  काही कारण  देऊन आणि जमला नहीं वगेरे मनाला खोट्या गोष्टी सांगत राहतो,,

टेक इट फॉर ग्रांटेड घेतो,,,, जमेल तेव्हा  ती गोष्ट करत नाही ,,
वेग वेगळ्या कारण ने  मी पिल्लू चा  लाम्ब चा प्रवास  घडवला नहि,,,, आयुष्यात धैर्याने पुढे नहीं गेलो तर आपल्या ओंजळीत फक्त regrets राहतात,,, आणि काही गोष्टी सुधरवता ही येत नाहीत,,,

कुठे तरी वाचल होत मधे,,,,
We always regret for not doing something than doing something wrong..
SO true...

पर्वा आशा भोसले ची मुलाखत रेडियो वॉर ऐकली,,,, त्यांच्या यशा मागचा रहस्य काय अस विचारला त्यांना,
त्या म्हणाल्या माझा कृष्ण म्हणतो,,, मागच्या चुकांच दुःख मानु नका आणि उद्या ची काळजी करू नका,,आज मधे जगा,,
always be possitive.... "Ho jayega"

मनात २ गोष्टी एका च वेळेस आल्या,,,,
कूठ ल्याच गोष्टी चा विचार न करता मी जायला हव होता,,,,पण आता दुख न करता हे शिकायला हवा की कुठलीही गोष्ट उद्या वर ढकलू नका ,,,,

Dont take it for granted :-)

देव बाप्पा माझ्या आजोबा ना  शांति देवो :-)

Green moong lentils Dhokla ( savoury steamed cake )

I can't believe its been so long!! Am coming back after October 2014..... Well it's been lovely years the last three years... My baby just turned 2 yesterday... :)
Decided to be active again...with a full  time job outside and at home lets see how well I can keep this promise to myself :D

Wanted to try this recipe since ages very easy but very healthy ad yummy too

Rich in protein and iron. Only glitch is its not instant....but its worth the wait :-)

so.....here we go!

Ingredients: 

150 gm split green moong daal   ( Green moong  Lentils )
1tsp Soda bicarbonate
salt to taste
1 green chillie
1.5-2 inches ginger
handful of  Spinach leaves
pinch  of Asafoetida

For Tempering :
1  tsp Urid Daal
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
5-6 Twigs Coriander Leaves
Curry leaves ( optional if you get it )


Procedure :

1. Wash the lentils with water.
2. In a pan or a bowl just add enough water to soak the lentils.  Not immersed but just enough to wet all lentils.  Soak for 10 hours or overnight.
3. In the morning remove all the extra water if there was extra and grind in the Grinder adding 1-2 tsp water only. Just add little to make grinding easy.
4. Cover with a lid and let it ferment for 8 hours.
5. Once ready, grind Spinach,ginger,chili in a mixer/grinder and add this paste to the batter.
6. Add salt.
7. Keep a deep pan with almost 1-1.5" of water in it to boil. Keep a stand inside to hold a plate or a pan.
8. Add Soda to the batter and mix well.
9. Grease one Steel plate with side edges or a pan with good height edges ( you can use a small cake tin too )
10. Add the batter onto the pan and make sure it is spread evenly.
11. Keep inside the boiling water pan and cover with a lid.
12. Steam for 10 min on a medium low flame; Careful with the steam.
13. after 10 min put a knife or a fork in it and see if it comes out clean, if yes switch off the gas and keep it covered until it cools down otherwise let it cook for another 2-3 min and keep checking.
14. Once cool down, cut into square shaped pieces and keep 2 tsp oil to heat in another pan.
15. Once oil is heated ,add mustard seeds,once they splutter add cumin seeds,asafoetida and Urid daal.
16. Pour this tempering over the Dhokla pieces and garnish with chopped coriander and serve with Tamerind or any of your favorite chutney.

Enjoy.....and let me know how you find it

Keep visiting...and commenting your views :-)

Thanks..

c ya

Chocolate Tartlets with Almond flakes

   

Chocolate Tart

The name may give an impression of  "difficult recipe"  but believe me...its one of the easiest baking recipes
especially in today's time when you can buy Pastry ;-)
I have used a Shop bought pastry so I admit little bit of cheating is there..but hey ho.. some trade off between time and tedious recipes is allowed isn't it :-)

Let's get started then... as they say in Great British Bake off... get set Bake!

Ingredients :

500gm Shortcrust pastry ( I used fresh version of Jus-Roll  Shortcrust Pastry )
250gm double cream
250gm Dark chocolate
( I used Sainsbury's dark chocolate bar which was 50% dark having sugar in it already )
Almond Flakes for garnishing

Tools or Requirements : 10cm Tartlet tin  or  one Big 24cm Pie dish
                                            Baking paper cut into squares much bigger than size of pie dish
                                            Ceramic beans for blind baking

Makes : 12-14
Procedure:

1. As per the packet instructions, freeze the Pastry pack on the day of shopping and then remove and keep it into Fridge overnight before use and/or when you are going to prepare immediately, keep at room temperature for 45 minutes before use.
2. Preheat the Oven at 200 DEG C
3. Meanwhile, grease the Tartlet tins with butter.
4. Take a chunk of Pastry and roll out to line one large pie dish or small Tartlet tin.
5. Using your hands lift the pastry up and allow the pastry to drop into the edge of dish.
6. Go around and push it in to the sides make sure it is absolutely pushed to the side ( into the ridges of pie dish )
7. Line the baking paper into each Tartlet tin or one big pie dish. Push it gently so that it is placed on the pastry properly.
8. Fill with baking beans and bake for 12-14 minutes in oven.
9. Remove the baking beans and paper and bake for another 8-10 min until the base turns golden brownish. Do not bake it until very brown which makes the base easy to break.
10. meanwhile heat the Cream and chocolate together in a pan over medium heat and stir continuously until the mixture becomes smooth and thick.
11. If the base is baked, remove from oven and keep it aside to cool down properly.
12. Once cooled, pour the chocolate mixture into the tart shell and arrange Almond flakes the way you like.
13. Chill in the Fridge for 60 minutes or until set.
14. You can also add any cake decorative stuff you get in baking section. :-)

Enjoy the dessert...and do let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks..

Mediterranean Potato Mash

Potato Mash

SO EASY!!!!!!!   and you  would love it with Nachos ;-)

Ingredients:

1 large Baking potato chopped into small chunks
1-2 Tsp Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Ground pepper
1/2 Tsp Lemon juice

Procedure:

1. Boil the potato chunks in boiling water for 12-14 minutes. ( On medium flame )
2. Drain water and transfer the chunks into Mortar and pestle.
3. Grind it well to have a creamy paste. 
4. Add Olive oil and keep grinding until you find a lump less smooth creamy textured mash.
5. Add salt,pepper,Lemon juice.
6. Ready to eat.
7. Optional:You can add garlic paste to the mash or garnish with chopped Chives as well.

Πουρέ πατάτας,Pâte de pomme de terre,Pappa di patata,Patata chafa,

มันฝรั่งบด,

Shreekhand

Shreekhand

Shreekhand Puri

Needless to introduce a famous Dessert from India...

This is an easy version of Shreekhand and quite tasty too.
This will turn a dry ..hot.. sunny day into a sweet.. cool.. day ...
Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

500gm Greek style Yoghurt or a Natural set Yoghurt
100 gm Castor sugar ( or to your taste )
pinch of Nutmeg powder
couple of Cardamom ground into powder
few strands of Saffron

Accessories:
Muslin cloth ( usually comes in a large square shape )
Long and thick Thread for hanging

Procedure:

1. Pour the yoghurt into a double layered Muslin cloth in the center and lift all the four corners and tie them together tightly.
2. Tie this bundle onto a Kitchen Tap and leave it hanging overnight or while you leave home for work in the morning. In short for around 8 hours.
3. You can leave a container below this to collect the whey water and reuse it or just let it go. ( I use it while kneading a Chapati dough  sometimes ).
4. After 8 hours, give a gentle press on the bundle to remove remaining water for the last time and untie the bundle.
5. Scrap and remove all the yoghurt and shift into a bowl.
6. Add Sugar and give a nice mix.
7. Add cardamon powder,Nutmeg powder and Saffron.
8. Mix well, taste if all OK and ready to serve.

See how Easy!!

Serve with hot Poori ...

Have a sweet Sunday lunch :-)

श्रीखंड ,Dessert de yaourt,Joghurtnachtisch,Dessert di yogurt,Postre de yogur,ของหวานโยเกิร์ต,ヨーグルトデザート,Γιαούρτι επιδόρπιο

Groundnut-Almond chikki

Chikki

Indian version of Flapjack  :-)

Quick to prepare and Healthy too..

Makes : Approximately 10-12

Ingredients:  

1/2  cup coarse Groundnut powder *
1/3 cup Sugar ( you can use jaggery instead of Sugar too )
1.5 Table spoon Ghee ( तूप )
1 Table spoon Almond powder ( Just grind few Almonds )

I would suggest to use a non stick pan for this recipe.

Procedure:

1. Pour ghee in a pan. Once it melts, add sugar. (Keep the flame on low-medium so that no fear of burning the ingredients.)
2. Keep stirring the mixture well.
3. Approximately after 5 - 5.30 minutes you will see the texture of sugar will change and the whole mixture will get a mercury type consistency.
4. Add the groundnut and almond powder in it. Stir gently.
5. Mix well, let the whole mixture come together well. Stir for around 30 seconds and switch off the heat.
6. Pour the mixture on a greased plate or an aluminium foil. ( I used ghee and applied it on a foil )
7. Spread well by patting it with greased spatula or the wooden spoon you used to stir in the mixture. (This should be done as fast as possible since as the mixture starts to cool down it will not be possible to mold them into any shape.)
8. Use knife or a pizza cutter and roll into the mixture and create square shapes into it.
9. Just after 30-60 seconds you will see the Chikkis get stiff.
10. Keep it aside to cool down fully for approximately 10 min.
11. Ready to eat!!  

Chikkis

* : I roasted Groundnuts in Microwave for around 2 minutes and then powdered it in a food 
     processor.

Labels:

Arachides,Erdnüsse,arachidi,アメリカホドイモ〔ピーナッツ〕,
Kadalekai Chikki

Caramelized Sweet-Potato Slices

A very very easy to prepare and less time consuming dish...give it a try

Caramelized Sweet Potato

Preparation Time : 5 Minutes

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium big Sweet Potato ( I bought the Purplish colored one ) sliced into thin wafer thin slices.
2. 1/2 cup Jaggery or to your taste
3. 2 TSP Ghee or purified butter
4. couple of pinches of Cardamom powder

Procedure:

1. In a heavy base pan pour Ghee and let it melt.
2. Once melted add the slices to it.
3. Give a gentle stir 2-3 times and cover the pan with lid on slow flame for 3-4 min.
4. Open the lid and give a stir and close again for another 4-5 min and cook on the slow flame only.
5. See if the slices are cooked, add jaggery to to the pan.
6. Slowly the jaggery will melt and you need to keep stirring so that it wont burn.
7. Cover with lid again and cook for 3-4 min or until slices are well cooked.
8. When cooked,switch off the hob and add cardamom powder and mix well.
9. Serve hot.

Do not cook on high flame to avoid slices getting burnt or Jaggery getting burnt.

Labels: Sweet Potato,patate douce,Süßkartoffel,patata dolce,batata,रताळ्याच्या गोड फोडी,

              मीठे आलू.            

Tomato Chaat

Feel like eating Chaat but dont want to take the lengthy path?
This could be the answer to your Chaat need yet ready within just few minutes.


Ingredients:


2 Tomatoes sliced into thin slices
Puffed rice ( Churmure / Muri )
Sev
Chaat powder
Red chili powder
Haldiram's Chana daal
Black salt ( optional but  a healthy salt option )
Coriander leaves finely chopped
Sweet Tamerind Sauce ( what we use in Pani puri or Bhel Puri )


Procedure:

1. Place the slices in a dish in one row.
2. Pour some Tamerind sauce
3. Put some Sev, Muri ( Puffed rice ), Chana Daal
4. Sprinkle red chili powder,chaat masala, black salt. Couple of pinches each.
5. Garnish with Coriander leaves.

it's READY!

In this way you get to enjoy the Chaat and a healthy Tomatoes get eaten as well :-)

Enjoy!!

Health Benefits of Tomatoes:
( Courtesy whfoods )
Widely known for their outstanding Antioxidants,good for heart health,help lower the total cholestrol.



Label: Tomato Street Food,la nourriture de rue de tomate,
             Tomaten straßenspeise,トマト通り食物,
              alimento de calle de tomate,cibo di strada di pomodoro
              Tomaatstraatvoedsel #tomato #chaat #streetfood #indianstreetfood

Potato Sandwich

Potato Sandwich

Aloo Sandwich

A quick... recipe..good option for a Dinner or Breakfast or even a Brunch ...this is a second version of Potato filling sandwich
Hope you will Enjoy :-)


Makes: 8-9 Sandwiches
Time for preparation: 10 min


Ingredients:
6 medium sized potatoes (I took Salad potatoes)
2 green chillies, if medium hot. Or take as per your taste
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
1 Tsp grated ginger
10-12 twigs of coriander leaves. Chop them roughly.
1/4 portion of Lemon
Salt to taste
Butter to apply


Procedure:

1. Grind Chillies,cumin seeds,coriander leaves,Ginger together to a coarse paste.
2. Boil potatoes until soft. I pressure cooked them until real soft.
3. Pill of the skin of potatoes,mash them well and remove if any lumps are there.
4. Add the green chili mixture to the mash add lemon juice and salt. Mix well just once. Dont knead it too much which will make the mash loose.
5. Take couple of spoons of flavored Mash and fill into 2 slices of bread. You can spread this mash well into the slices.
6. Apply butter on the top of sandwich and grill until nice crispy top you get.
7. Serve with nice cool Buttermilk.

Snake Gourde Chutney - Padwalachi Chutney

Snake Gourd Chutney

Snake Gourd

Easy-Healthy-Tasty. A nice option for side dish. 


Ingredients:
2 Cups of chopped Snake Gourd ( chopped into Round slices) If the seeds are quite hard then de seed the slices.
1/2 Cup Grated Coconut
2 Tsp Roasted Groundnuts's powder ( danyache coot)
2-3 Or to taste green chillies
15-20 Twigs of coriander leaves
Salt to taste
1/2 Tsp Sugar ( for a complete taste)
couple of twigs of curry leaves
Turmeric powder 2  pinches
Cumin seeds 1/2 Tsp or to your taste
2 spoons Oil for cooking


Procedure:

1. In a pan keep oil for heating. Once heated add Cumin seeds, then when they splutter add curry leaves, turmeric powder, chopped  green chillies. Stir well.
2. Add Sliced Gourd. Stir well. Keep Hob flame on medium. Cover it with a lid. Cook for 5 min.
3. Remove and stir well. Again cover it and cook for 4-5 min and open it. ( If the slices were thin you just need to steam cook them like this only one time)
4. Once it changes it color, switch off the gas. 
5. Then to this slices mixture,add Coconut, Ground nut powder,salt,coriander leaves,sugar.
6. Mix well.
7. Once cooled down, shift the mixture into Mixer. Grind the mixture to a chutney consistency. Little bit of coarse is fine.
8. On the chutney, pour a  Tadaka. (Heated oil-Cumin seeds-Curry leaves.)
9. It goes well with any meal. Lunch or dinner.

Health benefits of Snake Gourd:

A tonic for heart,rich in calcium,a natural antibiotic.

It can disperse phlegm, remove pus, expel toxic matter and is anti-inflammatory. It creates a cooling effect in the body.

It helps stimulate the production of body fluids, relieving dryness.

It is considered useful in wasting and thirst, which is an ancient reference to diabetes. This has led to investigations of its potential to treat this disease. Modern Chinese treatments for diabetes frequently include Snake gourd root as an ingredient. Even otherwise, being a low-calorie food, this vegetable can be used liberally with advantage by Type-II diabetics to reduce weight and also at the same time get adequate nourishment.


Labels:
Snake Gourd,Schlangenkürbis,serpenter la gourde,zucca di serpente,ヘビヒョウタン,тыква змеи,บวบงู,Padawal,Padol Kai